Return of the Fallen
by MysticalHexanes
Summary: As they ride toward Eren's demolished home in search of the secrets locked within his basement, the Survey Corps runs into some very unusual Titans. Their intelligence is similar to that of Eren's or Annie's Titan forms, and their fighting style is familiar...Could these Titans hold the restored bodies of fallen soldiers whose remains were not recovered, like...Petra?
1. Introduction

"**Return of the Fallen"**

An _Attack on Titan_/_Shingeki no Kyojin_ Story by MysticalHexanes

*Author's Notes*

"Attack on Titan" is the creation of Hajime Isayama. I do not own the manga/anime or any of its characters, nor do I seek to gain any monetary profit from them.

I do, however, hope that the manga's author and the anime's developers hear of the ideas for the series which I describe here. As a loyal fan of "AoT," I hope that these sorts of events do take place in upcoming seasons of the show. And I would be ever so happy if my favorite character, Petra, made a return.

"But, she died…" you might be saying. Yes, one thing I love about AoT is that it captures the gritty reality of war: People who have names and families and dreams die all of the time, and as much as we may long for them, there's nothing we can do to bring them back. Even so, in Petra's case, there may be hope yet for her return, and it makes strategic sense, too.

Curious? Well, I invite you to read on…

* * *

Introduction: Man Becomes Titan

When Petra Ral first joined the Survey Corps, she expected to learn a great deal about the fearsome Titans which plagued her world. As far as she knew then, Titans were horrendous brutes with misshapen bodies, great strength, and an overwhelming appetite for human flesh. But their utter lack of intelligence made them easier to bring down than one might suppose, and Petra had faith in the ability of the Survey Corps to unlock the mystery of these murderous giants and restore humanity to its former glory.

And as it turned out, Petra proved to be quite a skilled soldier indeed, widely considered by her superiors to be among the best of the Survey Corps' new recruits. Riding out into the grassy wastelands beyond Wall Maria, she and her squad-mates encountered Titan after Titan, experimenting with new strategies for subduing the mindless, lumbering monsters. And though this learning process was costly, indeed, the surviving members of the Survey Corps were rewarded with a deeper understanding of how the Titans functioned, and how best to bring them down. Petra's aptitude for teamwork and her courageous spirit helped her to become especially adept at slaying Titans, and her recorded number of kills was among the highest possessed by any of her fellow soldiers.

Witnessing the beginnings of humanity's revival firsthand, Petra began to feel a stirring sense of hope that the Survey Corps would uncover the secrets behind the Titans—their origins, their sources of energy, their true level of intelligence, their weaknesses…Already, Squad Leader Hanji's research on live, captive Titans was beginning to shed light on these and related matters, and the fieldwork accomplished by other members of the Survey Corps was instrumental in the development of improved combat techniques. At times, it seemed as though the end of the Titans' reign could be mere days away…But that's when everything changed. For a new Aberrant Titan had been spotted within the walls, one whose true identity would leave a lasting mark on Titan research for months to come.

Aberrant Titans were nothing new to Petra; from unusually-fast sprinters to the terrible Colossal Titan itself, these unpredictable creatures were alarming and mysterious, but even they seemed not to be immune to humanity's growing knowledge of the Titans. After all, they were still Titans. They still posed an imminent threat to humanity, and that made them something less than human; something that deserved to be eradicated from this world. That was the plan, of course, until that ferocious, bellowing Aberrant with sinuous muscles and piercing eyes collapsed to the ground, exhausted from having just torn apart countless dozens of his fellow giants. And through the cloud of steam emanating from his fallen body, a figure had been seen emerging from the nape of the Aberrant Titan's neck. A figure identified by his squad-mates as Eren Jaeger, a young soldier who had just graduated from training, and who was preparing to join the Survey Corps.

In other words, this "Aberrant Titan" was no Titan at all. He was a human being, albeit one with the remarkable ability to synthesize his own Titan-like body at will. A Titan Shifter.

This realization would change Petra's life forever…

* * *

Well, that's all for now! It's only the introduction, but I hope that you enjoyed it just the same, and that you will look forward to reading the first chapter, which will be posted soon. I will probably complete it this weekend, so stay tuned!

-MysticalHexanes


	2. Part One: The Female Titan

"**Return of the Fallen"**

An _Attack on Titan_/_Shingeki no Kyojin_ Story by MysticalHexanes

Part One: The Female Titan

Petra could feel the wind pulling at her cape as she flew past the trees alongside her fellow squad members. Traveling through the forest in her 3D Maneuver Gear was always such an exhilarating experience, no matter how many times she did it. Longing to feel the breeze dance in her golden hair, she turned up her gas output a notch, increasing her speed. And speed certainly mattered here, for the sooner the squad reached Levi, the sooner this hazardous mission could be put to an end.

Much time had passed since Petra first learned of Eren's ability to become a Titan. Now that she had seen his powers of transformation firsthand, she recognized more fully the importance of studying the Titan Shifters. For, it seemed, Eren's ability was not unique. Just how many Titan Shifters existed was a mystery to the Survey Corps, and none of them knew how such an ability could even arise. Nevertheless, these powerful individuals could be just the advantage humanity needed to overcome the Titans once and for all.

Now, on their 57th expedition outside the walls, the Survey Corps was attempting to prove to the Military Court that Eren's powers could be safely harnessed and used to humanity's advantage. If this mission failed to be successful, it was very likely that Eren would be killed and his body would be put under examination. Perhaps this could yield some information about his abilities, but Commander Erwin and Captain Levi were firmly convinced that Eren was of better use to humanity alive than dead.

But just as this crucial mission seemed to be getting underway, a new threat had emerged and taken the Survey Corps by complete surprise. A pack of fierce Titans, some of them Aberrant, had lain waste to one of the side flanks of the Corps' scouting formation. And to make matters worse, this first wave of Titans was only the beginning of the troops' troubles…

An enormous, bare-muscled and fleet-footed Aberrant Titan had come sprinting up on the horizon. This Titan proved to possess both superior intelligence and formidable combat skills, as was evidenced by the trail of brutal carnage it left in its wake. Its decidedly-feminine physique had earned it the nickname of "Female Titan," although she was no less fearsome than any "Male Titan" the soldiers had ever witnessed. Countless Survey Corps members had been pulled aside by the cords of their Maneuver Gear, only to be pummeled underfoot or propelled into the wall of a building by the merciless female Aberrant. However, despite the ease with which she dispatched these hapless warriors, the great Female Titan seemed interested in only one goal. One which lay some way ahead of her, deep within the Corps' formation. She ran with all of the strength and grace of an elite Olympian, her eyes trained on her target and her terrible fists ready to knock aside anything and anyone who tried to stand in her way.

Her target, Erwin knew, was Eren Jaeger. For some reason, Eren's presence as a Titan Shifter had made the other Titans uneasy, and now they wanted to take possession of him. As Petra, Oluo, Eldo, Levi, and Gunther found themselves riding straight into a vast forest of coniferous trees with the female Aberrant hot on their trail, they realized that no matter how terrifying the situation became, they must not allow her to take Eren.

Thanks to the brave sacrifice of the rear-guard soldiers who had distracted the Female Titan while she trailed Squad Levi through the woods, Commander Erwin and his ambush team had been able to deploy the trap they prepared at the center of the forest. Countless metal grappling-darts were fired like cannons at the Female Titan's hulking form, piercing through her flesh and holding her motionless and at their mercy.

Captain Levi, grateful to see that the plan had succeeded, told the rest of his squad to keep an eye on Eren while he and Erwin examined the Female Titan in search of her true identity. For she, like Eren, was a Titan Shifter. Her uncanny knowledge of the human military's fighting techniques had told the Survey Corps that much. Now all that remained was to extract her human body from the Female Titan's neck.

And finally, after having hitched their horses to a grove of nearby trees and gone to a larger branch to wait for Levi to finish up with the Titan, Petra and the others saw the signal they had been looking for. One dark smoke round, streaking up into the air like a firework. Petra's heart soared along with it, as she imagined Levi standing there at the base of the smoke plume, lowering his flare gun, preparing to meet up with them and share his findings.

Minutes before, when she had heard those unnerving screeches echoing across the treetops, coming from the direction of the trapped Titan, Petra had trembled with sheer fright. What could have caused such a clamor? Had the Female Titan broken loose? Was she screaming with rage, tearing apart the Commander and his helpers? Was Levi safe? She tried not to imagine her beloved Captain, groaning in agony as the horrible Titan crushed his body against a tree.

But now she breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing had gone wrong, after all! Levi was there, waiting for her! Those awful sounds she heard must have been the Female Titan's dying moans as she succumbed to Irwin's and Levi's assault. And now, the mysterious Shifter's identity was about to be revealed! Petra smiled softly as she watched Gunther leap up to a higher branch, raising his flare gun to the sky. She heard the sound of the signal round going off, envisioning the slight nod of his head which Levi was sure to give after noticing it.

"Come on, let's go meet the captain," Gunther called to the squad, leaping into action with his Maneuver Gear. Eldo and Oluo followed suit, with Eren and Petra close behind them. Petra closed her eyes and let out a small chuckle, as she basked in the wonderful feel of the wind rushing against her face. She was certainly ready to have this terrible day put behind her. She had seen so many of her comrades fall that day, she knew her nightmares were bound to be bloody. But still, their loss had helped the Survey Corps to succeed in bringing down the Female Titan, so those soldiers had surely not died in vain. This thought comforted Petra as she rushed forward, ready to meet Levi.

All of a sudden, she noticed Gunther pause and look to his left. Following his gaze, she saw a figure some distance away from them, clad in 3D Gear and a Survey Corps uniform, coursing through the forest with all haste.

"Captain Levi?" she heard Gunther call, and she looked to the figure again with heightened interest. "Levi!" she was about to shout over to the figure, when she began to sense that something was not right. Levi didn't like to wear the hood of his cloak up over his face like that! It made his hair terribly messy. And surely he would've acknowledged his squad already in some way, rather than speeding past them like there were other things on his mind. The more Petra looked at the strange figure, the more she felt certain that this was not her Captain. A lump of unease formed in her throat.

Gunther, too, seemed to notice that something was afoul. He blinked quickly and pulled back in alarm. "No, it's not him!" Petra heard her comrade stammer. His eyes widened. "Who are you?" he demanded. Petra heard her pulse begin to roar furiously in her ears. Why wasn't the hooded soldier saying anything?

She then watched in horror as, without warning, the mysterious soldier turned to face Gunther. The figure headed straight for the squad, spinning like a ballet dancer, before viciously plunging both of his blades into Gunther's chest. Eren, Petra, Oluo, and Eldo looked on in utter shock as their squad-mate tumbled head over heels to the forest floor, coming to a halt in midair, his Maneuver Gear breaking his fall. Dangling by the cords of the Gear, Gunther's lifeless form swayed gently in the breeze, rotating ever so slightly, just far enough for Petra to catch a glimpse of his pale, blood-stained face.

A surge of terror coursed through her body, and Petra knew without a doubt that she and the others must flee, or they would surely be killed, too. But, Gunther was dead…How could that be? How, after she had been so sure that they would end up victorious that day, and everything would turn out just fine?

These thoughts plagued Petra's mind as she continued to propel herself through the forest with her Gear. Meanwhile, down below, Eren remained beside Gunther's body. He was stunned at the sight of the proud warrior's expressionless face, splattered with his own blood. Oluo saw what was happening and came up quickly behind the boy, seizing him by the hood of his cloak and urging him onward. "Don't stop, Eren!" Oluo roared, determined to keep the young Titan Shifter safe from harm.

"But, Gunther!" Petra heard Eren cry. She shuddered, realizing that for a moment she had forgotten about her ultimate objective in this mission: To protect Eren. She had allowed herself to become distracted by Gunther's death, and if it hadn't been for Oluo's quick thinking, the hooded figure might have gotten Eren, too.

"Eldo," Oluo called to his squad-mate, "what do we do now? We can't let anything happen to Eren."

"I know. And there's no time to get back to the horses," Eldo grunted in reply, creases of frustration lining his brow. "No, we have to get back to headquarters. As quickly as possible."

Petra watched the hooded figure dart about erratically from tree to tree, apparently keeping his eye on the panicked squad. He seemed to know what he was doing in that 3D Gear, but who was he? And why did he want Gunther dead? There was only one answer. _He—or she—must have something to do with the Female Titan_, Petra realized with an ache in her chest.

Her suspicions were echoed by Oluo, who muttered aloud, "Do you think that guy has anything to do with the Female Titan? Or maybe there was more than one of 'em…"

Petra now felt quite sick to her stomach. Could Gunther's cloaked murderer really be the Female Titan? She turned with rage to glare at the disguised soldier. "Curse you! How dare you!" she roared, swords raised. She gritted her teeth, amber eyes blazing. "Come at me!" she challenged in a rough voice, the sight of Gunther's limp form still fresh at the back of her mind. "I'll defeat you, even if it kills me!"

"The Female Titan?" she heard Eren mumble behind her, as he struggled to keep up with the conversation. "Impossible. Why? Didn't we catch it already?"

Petra made no effort to respond to Eren. Nobody in the squad did, for they were focused on one thing, and one thing alone. The hooded figure had darted into the shadows beyond the tree-trunks, and a strange, vibrating haze had begun to settle over the woods. Time seemed to stand still for a moment…

When suddenly, great bolts of electricity surged forth and split the air all around them, as an enormous sphere of energy erupted among the trees. It looked like the Sun, so white-hot and blindingly bright as it expanded to consume the forest in its sickly golden glow. Steaming gusts of wind smacked Petra and the others in the face, as the Female Titan's body emerged from thin air, surrounded by dancing yellow embers.

"I…I knew it," Eldo stammered. "She's coming for us!" He backed away in terror at the sight of the Titan's lithe, muscular form crashing to the ground before him, steam rising from her skin, her eyes savage and glistening like a wolf's.

The panicked squad members hurriedly aimed their Gear at the branches looming above them, anxious to escape from the Female Titan. They coasted into the shadows of the trees ahead, hearing the Titan crashing along behind them in hot pursuit. Petra felt her blood become hot and thick in her temples, causing beads of sweat to break out on her face. This couldn't be happening. Not when she was so close to seeing Levi again! Not when they were just about to find out who the Female Titan was!

Well, they knew who she was now, although they had not been able to see her human face or identify her real name. Somehow, the hooded figure had escaped Erwin's trap and managed to follow Eren and the squad through the forest. The commander's plan to subdue the Female Titan had not succeeded, after all. There was no guarantee that Levi or any of them had made it out alive. And now Gunther was dead. If nothing was done to stop the Titan, and quickly, more deaths would surely follow.

Eren seemed to recognize this too, as he roared, "How dare you! This time, I'll defeat you!" Glaring at the Female Titan, the boy raised his hand to his mouth, preparing to bite down and unleash his Titan form upon his murderous opponent.

"No, Eren!" Eldo spoke to stop him, his voice commanding and rough. "The three of us will take care of it. You, get back to headquarters immediately!"

Sweat beaded on Eren's forehead as he considered the prospects of leaving his squad alone to face the raging Female Titan. He took in a sharp breath. "But I can fight, too!" he insisted.

Eldo shook his head, his gaze unyielding. "No. This is our only choice. Your powers are too unpredictable, too risky."

Oluo pulled up right beside Eren, agreeing with his comrade. He looked calmly into Eren's eyes. "We've faced plenty of Titans before. What, do you doubt us?"

Petra studied Eren's face for a moment. There was doubt in his eyes, that much was certain. He was afraid for their safety, and willing to risk his own life in order to protect them from harm. But they could not allow it. Petra shuddered, thinking back to earlier that day when they had been thundering through the forest on horseback, leading the Female Titan to Erwin's trap. Eren had considered using his powers then, too. If he had transformed then and there, the Commander's ambush would've certainly been a failure, and who knows how Eren's Titan form would've responded to the situation? It was a well-known fact that, soon after becoming a Titan during the recent victory at Trost, Eren had tried to crush his adoptive sister Mikasa with his fists. What if, there in the forest, he had gone berserk and tried to kill her, or Oluo, or Gunther, or Eldo?

"Do you doubt us, Eren?" she heard herself saying, her breath fluttering as the words tumbled out. "Do you find it that difficult to trust us?" Her eyes were meaningful, shining into his own.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Eren drop his hand reluctantly to his side. Grimacing, he turned away from the Female Titan and accelerated off into the forest with his 3D Gear. He looked ahead into the trees, hoping against hope that his squad would be as victorious as their outstanding battle record implied.

"Good luck!" Petra heard him call back to her and her comrades.

She looked to his fleeting form with an exhausted smile on her face, before taking in a deep breath and moving to join her squad in observing the massive Female Titan. Now that Eren was out of harm's way, it was time to bring this monster down once and for all.

Or die trying.

* * *

That's all for now, I'm afraid! I hope you liked it. The next chapter should be ready by Wednesday. There, we will experience the heart-rending deaths of Petra and her comrades, which will set in motion the rest of this exciting plot. Stay tuned!

-MysticalHexanes


	3. Part Two: The Day It All Went Wrong

"**Return of the Fallen"**

An _Attack on Titan_/_Shingeki no Kyojin_ Story by MysticalHexanes 

Part Two: The Day It All Went Wrong

Deep within the Forest of Giant Trees, Squad Levi prepared to face their most formidable opponent yet: the Female Titan. In her human form, she had already taken down one of their comrades, and the way her furious eyes now gleamed told the squad that this Aberrant was not about to back down any time soon.

Preparing his first strike, Eldo roared and raised his swords above his head, using his 3D Maneuver Gear to propel himself toward the hulking Female Titan. But his foe was just as cunning as any human warrior; anticipating his assault, she swatted one massive fist in his direction, keen on pummeling him into the trees.

Luckily, Eldo noticed this and, adjusting the cords of his 3D Gear, he was able to dodge the incoming hand just in time. Teeth clenched, he pulled away from the Titan, motioning Oluo and Petra forth to take their turn.

Petra aimed the grappling-hooks of her Gear straight at the Female Titan's cheek, knowing that, before any serious progress could be made in this fight, the enemy would need to be blinded first. Otherwise, the Female Titan would have plenty of time to notice and to evade their attempts at bringing her down.

As she and Oluo approached the mighty Titan, the two soldiers began to spin viciously in midair, holding their blades out to the side. This was a special tactic they had learned from Levi, and though they were far from being as skilled with using their Gear as the Captain was, the deadly technique had never failed them before.

Sure enough, as Petra and Oluo completed their attack, they heard a terrible moaning behind them. The Female Titan went hobbling backward against a tree, fresh blood and hot steam coursing from her gauged-out eyes. She raised a pair of massive hands to cover the back of her neck, where her human body lay hidden beneath the flesh.

Eldo looked on, nodding at his squad-mates. They all knew what came next: The Female Titan would be left blinded for another minute or two, until her eyes regenerated. And while their foe stood vulnerable and unable to see their attacks coming, the squad could make their move. First, they would shear the muscle away from her shoulders, causing her to drop the arms that protected the weak spot in her neck. Then, they could move in to destroy the Titan and reveal the person in control of the monstrous giant. But they had to work quickly, for there was no telling just how long their enemy would be down.

Eldo motioned to Petra and Oluo with his swords, and the pair leapt into action, attaching their gear to a nearby tree trunk and using their momentum to fly high into the air, breaking through the forest canopy. With her body almost completely inverted, Petra studied the vast expanse of land beneath her, narrowing her eyes to block out the hazy sunlight. _The world looks too beautiful; too perfect from way up here, _she mused to herself. _It's a shame I only have a few seconds to see it like this_.

An instant later, she and Oluo were plummeting back down into the shadowy woods, coasting on their gear like steel-winged falcons. Raising their swords, they scored deep gashes in the Female Titan's upper arm muscles. Petra felt a rush of exhilaration as her sword ripped through the flesh, knowing that with every slash and strike the team was that much closer to saving Eren and returning victorious to their Captain.

Eldo hovered nearby, awaiting his turn to attack. "We'll take off so much of your shoulder muscle, you won't be able to keep your arms up anymore, you filthy Titan!" he thought with a scowl on his face. He crossed the blades of his swords defiantly, observing his wounded enemy's downcast face. Behind the strands of the Titan's pale blond hair, he could see her eyes, swollen-shut and faintly steaming as the healing process took hold. The squad had no time to lose.

Rushing forward just as his squad-mates did, Eldo used his swords to slice away at the Female Titan's shoulders. Petra and Oluo then dove in for a second try. Petra's mind was ablaze with adrenaline. "Shear it all off, make its arms fall!" she thought as her swords came down.

Turn by turn, the trio cut savagely away at the Titan's shoulder tissues, until the ravaged limbs finally gave way, sliding down to hang uselessly at the enemy's sides. "They're down!" the squad rejoiced. Petra couldn't help but smile, thinking of how proud Captain Levi would surely be if he saw them now. Would he be worried for their safety? Probably, but they were his elite team, after all, and this looked like a sure win…

"Now the neck!" came Eldo's urgent cry, and Petra and Oluo leapt into action once more. The Female Titan remained motionless, backed against the massive tree trunk with her knees bent to support her weight. The three soldiers let loose bursts of gas from their Maneuver Gear, positioning themselves to cut away at the Titan's neck muscle.

Meanwhile, at a distance, Eren looked on with awe as his teammates fought their courageous battle. "They're so strong," he remarked, wondering how in the world the squad could work so fluidly, and so in concert with one another, despite hardly ever speaking aloud.

"They really believe in each other," he realized. No matter how tough times got, they knew that they could depend on one another. Even after seeing the Female Titan slaughter dozens of innocent rear-guard soldiers, and even after experiencing Gunther's loss, they were still willing to get in the fight and do whatever it took to eliminate the threat posed by this Aberrant.

Now, Eren finally realized what Petra had been talking about! You can believe in yourself, or you can believe in the companions you trust. He hadn't been putting enough faith in his squad-mates!

But, what was it that Levi had said? Captain Levi, widely regarded as Humanity's Greatest Soldier…Surely, he knew the right way to look at things? He had said something different than Petra.

"You can never know what the right choice is. You just make one, and hope that it turns out well enough. But no one ever knows how it will turn out."

That's what Levi had said. No one knows how it will turn out… not even the Captain himself, or Commander Erwin, or Petra, or…

"Eldo!" Eren looked just in time to see the powerful soldier rushing in for an attack on the Female Titan's neck. He seemed to be on the verge of hitting his mark, when something happened. Something so sudden, and so unbelievably gruesome, that it left everyone present feeling as though they were trapped in some strange dream. It couldn't be real…

Without warning, the curtain of rising steam and dirty blonde hair masking the Titan's face opened to reveal one darting, frenzied blue eye. The Female Titan's gaze instantly locked on to Eldo as he approached at top speed. Before any of the other squad members could process what was happening, the Aberrant seized Eldo within her great jaws, severing his head and shoulders from the rest of his body with one ferocious bite.

Letting the rear half of Eldo's limp form slide away from her mouth and collapse at her feet, the Female Titan then spat what remained of the proud soldier off into the woods, where Petra and the others heard it hit the ground with a distant thud.

Eren let out a strangled cry, hurrying back toward the squad as quickly as his 3D Gear and trembling fingers would allow. Levi was right. Petra was wrong. This Titan was too strong for any human soldier to take down. He should have obeyed his intuition and fought this monster one-on-one in his Titan form a long time ago. Now, Eldo and Gunther were dead, and if he didn't do something quickly, Petra and Oluo would be next.

Her heart thumping madly as she struggled to keep control of her 3D Gear, Petra shook her head in utter disbelief. Confusion and terror shone from her wide amber eyes. She had been preparing to follow Eldo's orders to strike the Titan's neck when, suddenly…There was no Eldo, only a dead body trapped between the Aberrant's teeth.

"Eldo was just there," she thought to herself, panicking. "That couldn't have been real…" Distracted by the grisly scene before her, Petra swooped so low to the ground that a corner of her blade sheath struck the earth, sending her tumbling out of control.

She gritted her teeth, steadying herself before going in for a closer look at the Titan. "How could it have seen him? It wasn't even thirty seconds when…" Her breath hitched in surprise when she saw it. The Female Titan's single, glaring eye. "Only one eye? It prioritized one eye over the other, to accelerate the healing…Is that possible?" She groaned in dismay. It was becoming more obvious by the second that the knowledge the Survey Corps had gained by studying Eren was only the tip of the iceberg. There was so much yet to learn about the Titan Shifters, and underestimating this particular individual had cost too many precious lives already.

Spotting Petra, the Female Titan lurched forward, away from the tree. It fell into an athletic crouch, its lone eye glinting in the depths of its terrible face. And then, it charged forward at full speed, tilting its upper body in the direction of its motion so as to hasten its pace. With thundering footfalls, the monstrous Titan set its sights on Petra, who was doing her best to pull out of its way with her 3D Gear.

The rushing Female Titan was a horrible sight to behold. Its expression was stone-cold and brutal. Its legs moved so quickly and with such power that both its feet left the earth at times. Stunned by the recent deaths of her comrades, and even more so by the startling approach of the Titan, Petra urged her Gear to move faster, gasping in terror.

Oluo could not stand the thought of losing the last of his squad-mates. He called out to Petra, his desperation plain in his voice. "Petra, hurry! We need to regroup!"

She was almost to the tree. There, she could swoop up to the branches, and out of danger. If only she were fast enough…

"Petra, hurry! Now!" Oluo bellowed, his face livid.

Cold sweat formed in beads on Petra's forehead as she craned her neck upward to see the Female Titan's enormous foot, its vast sole positioned just above her body, ready to come down at full force. She opened her mouth to say something, perhaps to scream.

And then the foot struck the base of the tree, with Petra pinned between the two. All that Oluo and Eren could see was dust and blood, and the massive form of the Titan as it stood on one leg, pressing their comrade's lifeless form against the rough bark.

As if from a faraway vision, Oluo heard Eren's scream break out behind him. But he could not tell if it was real. He could not tell if anything was real. Nothing was real, except for that towering brute before him. He thought of nothing but his blades against the Titan's neck.

Eren gasped as he watched Oluo drop his head low with haggard determination, and fire the cords of his Gear into the Titan's upper back. "Die!" the furious soldier screamed, the pain of his loss ringing through the branches above him. Slamming his swords into the Aberrant's neck, he recoiled in shock when the blades shattered upon impact with the Titan's flesh. He looked down to see that the Female Titan had hardened her skin to form a coating of crystal armor over the place where her true body lay hidden, guarding it from harm.

"How…" he wondered to himself dumbly, before the Titan's great fist came smashing into him from the side. The monstrous giant then swung her leg around, pummeling the hapless Oluo with one massive kick. His body tumbled through the air, pieces of gear and splatters of blood dropping all over the place as he came crashing to the ground, landing on his stomach in a patch of bare dirt some ways off into the woods.

Eren reached the scene just in time to see the triumphant Titan land back on her feet, lithe as a wildcat. He felt the glazed eyes of his lost companions staring dully at him from every angle. It was too late. He had lost them all. Gunther, Eldo, Petra, Oluo…Just a few short moments ago, they were his squad-mates, and he was laughing with them as they made their way through the forest to meet Levi. It was to be a successful mission, they all had thought then…

But now there was no one left but him and that heartless monster. Feeling the rage of his loss come surging into his heart, Eren let the energy overtake his body as he roared aloud, "I'll kill you!" Tears in his eyes, he clenched his jaw as his Titan form burst forth in a shower of blazing light.

Some ways off, Captain Levi was cruising along in his gear on his way back to the squad, when his ears perked sharply at the sounds of a Titan battle in the distance. First there had been a strange burst of light, and Levi had grimaced, thinking that Eren had lost his nerve and transformed. But now, just as he was approaching the area, a second transformation seemed to be taking place, accompanied by a throat-rending roar that could only be Eren's. If Eren had only just now become a Titan, then who had been the first to unleash their Titan form?

Swords drawn, the Captain took in a deep breath, not sure what he expected to find ahead. Worrying thoughts began to stab at his mind. His squad—what had become of them? He knew each of them well, and he had great confidence in their abilities. It was these Titan Shifters that he felt unsure about. Caught in Erwin's trap, the Female Titan had made a risky, desperate, and altogether unexpected decision. She had called in a swarm of Titans to devour her body, allowing her human self to escape into the woods.

And where would she go next? His eyes darkening, Levi sighed. There was no doubt where she'd gone. Back to pursuing Eren. And where was he? Hiding in the forest, guarded by his Special Operations Squad. Yes, he knew those soldiers well. He knew of their strength, and courage, and above all their loyalty. They would not let Eren go without a fight. They would tell him to get away, and quickly, while they fought the Female Titan on their own.

So, then, why had Eren transformed into a Titan?

"No, no," Levi thought to himself, clenching his fists. And then, he saw him. Gunther. A proud, intelligent man with a good sense of logic. Loved by his family, respected by his comrades, appreciated by his captain. Yes, Gunther, dangling by the strings of his Maneuver Gear, his chest slashed open and his face pale with death.

Unease darted through Levi's chest. If Gunther was dead, what of the others? It wasn't long before he came across them, too. He saw Eldo, separated from his legs and lower torso, staring lifelessly up into the sky. The Captain closed his eyes as he passed over the scene, feeling the pain sink into his heart, ruthless and unyielding.

Oluo's cheek rested against the ground as the grizzled man lay quiet in his final slumber, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. Levi's body grew numb as he realized what he was sure to see next. All of those crumpled Wings of Freedom…but were hers still fluttering?

No, they were just as broken as the rest. The corpse lay kneeling at the base of a tree, along whose trunk it had apparently slid down until it met the ground, leaving a soggy scarlet trail in its wake. Its face was tilted upward to meet the sun, its expression serene and empty. Levi felt his own Wings falter as he hovered near the bloodstained tree's lower branches. He paused for a moment, gazing into the eyes of the fallen warrior with amber eyes and soft, golden hair.

He felt something shudder and collapse deep inside of him. Was this truly the body of Petra? A soldier he trusted, the woman he loved…He refused to believe that these dead eyes were the very same that, just a few short hours ago, had blazed into his own with such passion and devotion. And, smeared along the trunk…Was that truly the blood that had colored her cheeks so vividly whenever she became bashful or flustered? And now those cheeks were eternally cold and white, their paleness disrupted only by the deep red stains which ran down from her nose and mouth and caked in the hair at her temple.

Levi blinked slowly. His squad was no more. Petra was no more.

Gliding through the hazy forest on shattered wings, the silent Captain forged on ahead toward the scene of the great Titan battle, which had just now fallen alarmingly still. No matter how wretched the loss he had just faced, he would fall into an even greater dilemma if the Female Titan managed to abduct Eren. He could not allow humanity to lose its last hope of defeating the Titans.

Because now this war, and the hope of victory, were all that Levi had left to live for.

* * *

There we have it, our next chapter…I apologize for its length, and for the fact that it is a recap of events already seen in the "Attack on Titan" anime, but I wanted to set my story firmly in place within the series before introducing the new material.

The next chapter will recap a little of the Titan research that has been going on in the manga, and then we will start to get into the heart of the story, when the first Aberrant formed out of a fallen soldier will be encountered by Levi and his team. Stay tuned, and thanks for the support!

-MysticalHexanes


End file.
